Weft-fork for looms.



Witnesses [nventarx 55.44%; 0 y flmfif RMAQL WZZO rney COLUMBIAPLANOGRAFH co, WASHINGTON, D. c.

Patented June 16, 1914.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

sIM o JACKSON, or A VIL Massaoir s 'nrs, essrenon TO .rnE STAFFORDCOMPANY, OF EEA ILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, A GQBi Qlterion OF NEW JERSEY.

WEFT-FO-RK FOB. LOOMS;

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SIMEoN S. JACKSON, asubject of Great Britain, residing at Readville, Boston, in the countyof Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new anduseful: Improvement inIVeft-Forks for Looms, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention is a division of that of my application for U. S.Letters Patent for improvements in weft replenishing looms, filed April21, 1910, Serial No. 556,761.

In looms in which replenishment of the working weft-supply is effectedautomatically, the free ends of the weft-threads carried by the reserveshuttles or weft-carriers contained in the magazine are engaged with. asuitable weft-end holder, so that when one of such shuttles orweft-carriers is brought into service in weaving the starting end of theweft-thread carried thereby is held: so that it pays out through the delivery eye of the shuttle and is thereby caused to lie in the shed inthe warp-threads as the shuttle makes its first flight following thereplenishment. In consequence of the starting end being. thus engaged, asocalled weft-end remains extending from the weft-end holder totheadjacent selvage of the cloth being woven. This weft-end is or should beparted close to the said selvage, for which purpose a weft-end parter isemployed, usually mounted upon the loomtemple at such selvage, andoperating to efiect the parting by breaking or cutting the weft-end. Inlooms in which a weftfork is employed at the same side of the loom,located between the weft-parter and weft-end holder, the weft-forkinterferes with the prompt parting of the weft-end. Its tines hold theweft-end back when the first pick of the fresh weft is beaten up,thereby preventing the weft-end from entering completely into the graspof the weftparter so as to be parted thereby, and also slackening theweft-end so that as a result a number of picks of the shuttle take placebefore the cloth becomes advanced sufliciently by the taking-up to drawthe weftend into such grasp, delaying thereby the parting of theweft-end.

The object of the invention isto obviate Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Jun 16, 1914 Original application filed April 21, 1910,Serial No, 556,761.

Divided and this application, filed. December interference by theweft-fork with the prompt parting of the weft-end. In accomplishingthisobject I construct the weftfork at its working face with a recessadjacent its feeler-portions for coacting with the working weft-thread,such recess receiving the outwardly-extending weft-end and affordingclearance or relief therefor. Thus, instead of being held back by theweft-fork asv usual, the weft-end occupies the clearance-recess, andthereby is permitted to enter into. the grasp of the weft-parter at thefirst beat-up by the lay following replenishment. Hence the weft-parteris enabled to part the weft-end immediately.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, in whichlatter,-

Figure 1 shows in plan certain parts of a loom designed to effectreplenishment by automatically making change of shuttle, one embodimentof the invention being shown in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is anelevation looking from the right hand side in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the weft-fork shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in connection with theother devices. Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a slightly different formof weft-fork.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a portion of cloth is represented at 1, and at 2 areshown portions of the warp-threads extending rearwardly in the loomtherefrom.

3, Fig. 1, is a portion of the breast-beam.

A loom-temple is shown at t in engagement with the selvage-portion ofthe cloth.

At 5 is a weft-fork located adjacent the temple 4, its usual carryingslide being shown at 6 mounted in the guideway 7 on the breast-beam, anda portion of the wefthammer is represented at 8 in Fig. 1.

A magazine for reserve shuttles is shown at 9 at the outer end of thebreast-beam, and at 10 is a weft-holder applied to the rear of the saidmagazine, at its inner end,

screw. threads in the shuttles near the top thereof, it being in theform of a wooden cylinder conveniently fastened to the rear side of themagazine by means of a The starting ends of the weftcontained in themagazine are wrapped around the said gholder. In the present instance aweft-end guide, shown at 1 1, is employed in connecti on with the lowerportion of the magazine, .it being. lpcated just above the open. mouthat the base of the magazine through which the shuttle which is beingtransferred to the lay is carried rearward by the action of the feedingor transferring devices (not shown). This guide consists of a piece ofwire fastened. by its outer end in a supporting arm 11 depending from abracket on the magazine, the main length of the wire, constituting thestem of the guide, extending horizontally toward the adjacent side ofthe loom from the said supporting arm, and the wire being bent at itsinner end to form an open loop or hook. As the bottom shuttle of thestack contained within the magazine is transferred from the base of themagazine to the lay, the weft-end extending from the delivery eye ofsuch shuttle to the weft-end holder is carried by the rearward movementof the shuttle against the horizontal stem of the guide, and as theensuing pi k of the shuttle from such end of the lay to the opposite endtakes place the weft-end slips inward along the stem of. the guide,efiecting entrance into the eye or loop at the inner end of the guide,wherein it remains confined.

At 12 is a weft-parter mounted on the outer side of the head of thetemple. It may be of any desired construction. In the present instance Ihave shown a parter com prising a cutting blade 12, carried by a leverpivoted upon the temple-head, the said lever being acted upon by acontracting spiral spring 12 Fig. l, which holds the said lever normallyin its retracted position, with the cutting blade elevated above a notchin the rear face of the temple-head. The depending portion of the saidlever constitutes a tail which in the advance of the lay is struck bythe latter, so that the lever shall thereby be turned. upon its pivotand the cutting blade moved across the notch of the temple-head.

Figs. 1 and 2 represent the situation following the first pick afterreplenishment, a weft end a being shown extending down from the weft-endholder 10 through the eye or loop of the guide 11 and thence past theweft-fork, weft-parter, and temple into the shed, the weft-threadextending obliquely rearward within the shed toward the opposite side ofthe loom. These figures show the weft-end occupying the recess withwhich, in accordance with my invention, I construct the weft-fork forthe purpose of affording suflicient clearance or relief to the weft-endto permit it to draw forwardly into the grasp of the weft-parter. TnFigs. 1 and 2, and in Fig. 3, in which the weftfork of Figs. 1 and 2 isshown separately, the clearance-recess is provided by bending the tinesof the weft-fork downward immediately adjacent the pivotal hub 5 andthen cranking or bending the same horizontally as at 5 and then againvertically downward so that the feeler-portions 5 shall be offset to aconsiderable extent with reference to the upper portions 5 and also withreference to the pivotal point or hub 5. The working face of theweft-fork is substantially upright. The weft-clearance recess is therebyformed in the upper portion of the working face of the weft-fork and thetines of the fork extend downward from such recess, forming the feelingportions 5" for engagement with the working weft-thread in the loom. Theweft-end holder and the guide 11 are elevated. relatively to the selrageso that the weft-end draws in an upward direction from the selvage tothe said guide and holder. Thereby the weft-end is somewhat elevated atthe weft-fork and caused to find its way into the clearance-recess. Insome cases the guide 11 may be dispensed with and a weftend holder ofany desired character may be located at a lower point than that of itsposition shown in Fig. 2.

In the form of weft-fork shown in Fig. 4i the tines, instead of beingbent directly downward from closely adjacent the pivotal point or hub55, extend rearward a short distance from the said pivotal point or huband are then bent downwardly, and then are carried in an obliquedirection downwardly and forwardly as at 5, being then bent or crankedhorizontally rearward as at 5 forming the clearance-recess 5, the tinesextending downward from the recess so as to form the feeler-portions 5.

The form and construction of the weftfork, and the shape, etc, of theclearancereccss, may be further modified without necessarily involving adeparture from the principle of the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A weft-fork having a substantially uprightworking face and a weft-clearance re cess in the upper portion of suchface with its tines extending downward from such recess and forming thefceler portions for engagen'ient with the working weft-thread in a loom.

2. A weft-fork having its tines bent to form a weft-clearance recess inthe upper portion of its working face, with the lower portions thereofextending downward from such recess and forming the feeler-portions forengagement with the working weftthread in a loom.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SIMEON S. JACKSON. lVitnesses E. W. BARRETT, CHAS. F. RANDALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. 0.

